In response to the distressing situation in Iran with the deaths of over 200 people in the recent protests including 23 children and attacks on many more, the Church of England offers these prayers for use in our churches.
Lord Jesus Christ,
we hold before you the people of Iran.
May the tears shed in your earthly life
be balm for all who weep,
and may the prayers of your pilgrimage
give strength to all who suffer;
for your mercy’s sake.
Amen.
Ever-living God,
whose Church is strengthened by the blood of the martyrs,
we thank you for the witness of the Anglican Church in Iran
and pray for the faithful remnant who endure.
In suffering, sustain them;
in fragility, nurture them;
in isolation, surround them with your love.
May we see your presence in the small and vulnerable,
for the bruised reed you do not break, nor the smouldering wick snuff out.
Renew us, and the persecuted Church, in the message of hope
shown in the death and resurrection of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Bishop Guli Frances-Dehqani can be heard saying prayers for Christians in Iran on Facebook.